The following scouting reports were taken from Pro Football Weekly's 2013 Draft Preview book, which is now on sale. You can order it today through the PFW Store, or by calling 1-800-FOOTBALL (Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. CT).

QB Matt Barkley, #7 USCPFW Grade: 6.03Ht: 6-21/2 | Wt: 227 | Sp: 4.95e | Arm: 305/8 | Hand: 101/8Notes: His father, Les, was an All-American water polo player at USC (1976-79) and brother, Sam, is a hurdler on the USC track team. A four-year starter who threw for 9,487 yards and 78 touchdowns as a California prep. Suffered a broken collarbone in his first year of high school, when he was allowed to call his own plays. Became the first junior to be named Gatorade National Player of the Year in 2007 after throwing for 3,576 yards and 35 touchdowns. Enrolled at USC in time for spring practice in ’09 and was named the starter in the fall as a true freshman. In 12 starts, he completed 211-of-352 pass attempts (59.9 percent) for 2,735 yards with 15 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. Became the first USC true freshman ever to start an opener and the first true freshman to start an opener at QB for an AP Top Five team since Michigan’s Rick Leach in 1975. Missed the Washington game with a bruised right shoulder. Had surgery on his right wrist to relieve stiffness and inflammation prior to ’10 spring practice. In the fall, threw for 236-377-2,791-26-12 (62.6) in 12 starts. Was sidelined for second half of the Oregon State game and against Notre Dame with a high ankle sprain. Had a record-setting ’11 campaign with 308-446-3,528-39-7 (69.1) in 12 starts. Set the Pac-12 record for touchdown passes and broke the school mark for completion percentage. Became the top signalcaller in USC history in ’12 after hitting 246-387-3,273-36-15 (63.6) in 11 starts. Suffered a sprained AC joint (type III) in his throwing (right) shoulder on a hit against UCLA and missed the final two games of his collegiate career. Finished with 20 USC career, season and game marks with 10 also being Pac-12 records. Was the winner of the Wuerffel Trophy, awarded for exemplary community service with athletic and academic achievement. Was USC’s first-ever three-time captain and had a 34-13 record in 47 career starts. Did not work out at the Combine to rest his throwing shoulder.Positives: Thickly built. Experienced four-year starter in a pro-style offense with progression NFL reads. Terrific football intelligence. Good decision-maker — knows when and where to go with the ball. Throws on balance with a smooth, fluid delivery. Good enough arm strength to connect deep — can drop it in a bucket and showed improved deep accuracy as a senior. Good short-to-intermediate accuracy and overall anticipation. Tough and will deliver with pressure barreling down — good poise and on-field demeanor. Can sidestep the rush and manipulate coverage with his eyes. Outstanding intangibles and leadership traits — commands respect from teammates. Rallied comeback wins throughout his career, from the time he was the first freshman to start for a top-5-ranked team since 1975 against Ohio State, to Oregon (2011) and Utah (2012). Very intelligent with an engaging personality. Team tempo-setter. Can elevate a locker room, uplift an organization and represent a franchise with integrity. Very strong support structure. Is a pro’s pro and football is very important to him. Highly determined.Negatives: Has short arms and average grip strength (student manager was fired for deflating balls). Does not snap it quickly and spiral is not tight. Heavy-footed and cannot improvise or create with his feet. Cannot easily manipulate his arm and throwing platform under duress and the ball dies when he can’t step into it. Does not drive the ball down the field with high RPMs. Not quick-eyed — many throws are pre-determined at the line, and he will hold the ball too long on some progressions. Can be streaky (see Washington). Never beat Stanford’s pro-style defense in four years.Summary: A cool, confident, rhythm passer who suffered as a senior behind a leaky, injured offensive line that left little time to throw. Looked much more comfortable as a junior with an elite left tackle. Is slow-footed and could be more prone to injury in the pros and take some time to adapt to live NFL bullets. Leadership traits, strength of character and football IQ will allow to operate at a high level in a play-action passing game with a clean pocket and a talented cast of receivers. Can become a very solid NFL starter and thrive with a strong supporting cast. A cross between Drew Brees and Colt McCoy.NFL projection: First-round pick.

QB Geno Smith, #12West VirginiaPFW Grade: 5.39Ht: 6-23/8 | Wt: 218 | Sp: 4.59 | Arm: 321/2 | Hand: 91/4Notes: His cousin, Melvin Bratton, was a star running back for the Miami Hurricanes in the late 1980s. The Florida prep was a Parade All-American selection after throwing for over 3,000 yards and 32 touchdowns. Saw limited action in five games as a true freshman in 2009, completing 32-of-49 passes for 309 yards (65.3 percent) with one touchdown and one interception while playing through a broken fifth metatarsal in his left foot for part of the season. Took over as the starter in ’10 and tossed 241-372-2,763-24-7 (64.8) in 13 starts. Was the first West Virginia QB in 12 years to throw for over 2,500 yards in a season. Garnered heavy recognition for ’11 season, setting the Big East Conference and school mark for passing yards with 346-526-4,385-31-7 (65.8), in addition to becoming the first Mountaineer QB in history and only the second Big East player to surpass 4,000 yards in a season in 13 starts. Named Orange Bowl MVP after throwing for 407 yards and six touchdowns against Clemson. Set the school record and led the Big 12 Conference in touchdown passes in ’12 after tossing 369-518-4,205-42-6 (a conference-leading 71.2) in 13 starts. Threw for 656 yards and eight touchdowns in a 70-63 shootout victory against Baylor. Had a 26-13 record in 39 career starts.Positives: Has a strong arm and can rifle the ball with good velocity into tight windows. Can throw with accuracy on the move and layer the deep ball. Good overall accuracy, ball placement and touch, especially on the fade route. Throws a very catchable ball — spins it tightly. Good escapability — can sidestep the rush, find an open throwing window and extend plays with his feet when needed. Outstanding straight-line speed — clocked the best 40-yard time (4.56 seconds) and broad jump (10-foot-4) of any quarterback at the Combine. Very durable, experienced, three-year starter — overcame an average offensive line, has never missed any time to injury and will play through pain.Negatives: Operated an offense where he received adjustments from the sidelines and was often out of sync with receivers. Average field vision and coverage recognition — forces throws and does not work through progressions. Takes unnecessary sacks and does not feel pressure well. Not an elusive scrambler. Shaky lower-body mechanics — does not stand tall in the pocket (crouches, hops, dances and elevates to his toes when he throws). Has pin legs and bad pocket posture. Operated almost exclusively from the gun. Not a student of the game. Nonchalant field presence — does not command respect from teammates and cannot inspire. Mild practice demeanor — no urgency. Not committed or focused — marginal work ethic. Interviewed poorly at the Combine and did not show an understanding of concepts on the white board. Opted not to compete at the Senior Bowl and has approached offseason training as if he has already arrived and it shows in his body with minimal muscle definition or strength. Has small hands and glaring ball security issues (32 career fumbles). Really struggled handling the snow in Pinstripe Bowl (took two safeties) and will be troubled by the elements. Needed to be coddled in college — cannot handle hard coaching.Summary: Started the season red-hot with the help of two playmaking receivers and created a national stir generating a lot of overexcitement in the scouting community. Quickly came down to earth after Kansas State disguised coverages and brought pressure he could not handle and he finished dropping six of his final eight games. A cross between Akili Smith and Aaron Brooks, Smith is a gimmick, overhyped product of the system lacking the football savvy, work habits and focus to cement a starting job and could drain energy from a QB room. Will be overdrafted and struggle to produce against NFL defensive complexities.NFL projection: Top-50 pick

One wonders what sources the writer could have to accurately arrive at some scathing and oddly personal conclusions. Let Nawrocki put a name to such claims. Then we have news –

Moreover, keep in mind if this blogger had any journalistic integrity he would have said, “Numerous sources ….” This way he takes it out of his hands as being the writer who has an extreme view of a player’s personality - Just keep in mind, Pro Football Weekly has to sell draft publications.

One wonders what sources the writer could have to accurately arrive at some scathing and oddly personal conclusions. Let Nawrocki put a name to such claims. Then we have news –

Moreover, keep in mind if this blogger had any journalistic integrity he would have said, “Numerous sources ….” This way he takes it out of his hands as being the writer who has an extreme view of a player’s personality - Just keep in mind, Pro Football Weekly has to sell draft publications.

J.C. what a rip job.

Per Jim Corbett

Geno Smith will visit Buffalo Bills next after Wednesday spent with Chip Kelly's Philadelphia Eagles following a very good visit with K.C. Chiefs

Ok, so ripping someone's character when you've never met them is acceptable analysis to you? Nolan got ridiculed for it then, and he's being ridiculed for it now.

Of course it is. If you have sources who you believe telling you that the guy has character flaws, of course you include it in your analysis.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Detoxing

at the height comment. Wow......"hey they're the same height! Geno is on the road to bust city"

You said he shared "nothing in common" with Akili Smith other than last name and skin color. You may not realize it, but height is actually a factor in QB evaluations and it happened to be obvious proof that your superficial take was bullshit. It's not the only similarity. As I said before, they both relied more on their arm than on their legs, but they were athletic enough that they weren't statues. They both had strong arms. And there's also the work ethic thing. How many similarities does it take before you can start looking past the color of their skin? What high profile bust would have been a better comparison for Geno Smith in your opinion?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Detoxing

And it's a pretty far stretch to say he was right about RGII and Cam. He's was right about some stuff, wrong about others. Hell, he's right about some stuff on the Geno analysis imo.

It's not a stretch at all. His criticisms of Cam Newton and RGIII have all been vindicated by reality.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Detoxing

His harsh criticisms about his work ethic and character don't seem to jive. Basically declaring him a bust and a collegiate fraud before even stepping onto the field is insane.

You are welcome to have your own opinion, but just because his doesn't jive with yours doesn't make him racist. And scouting reports are supposed to predict what kind of player the prospect is going to be before they ever step onto the field. That's what a scouting report is. WTF? It's hard to take you seriously when you say things like that.

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"I'll see you guys in New York." ISIS Caliph Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi to US military personnel upon his release from US custody at Camp Bucca in Iraq during Obama's first year in office.

I think around this time of year, everyone has an opinion, and for an analyst like Pro Football Weekly's Nolan Nawrocki to be highly critical of Geno Smith ("Not a student of the game, not committed or focused") is not surprising. Understand one thing: People like Nawrocki are not making this up. NFL scouts talk to people studying the draft, and they have opinions, and they understand that the analysts are going to put the opinions in their own words. Now, is Smith a bad student, or not focused? Not from what I have heard. But I probably haven't spoken to the same people Nawrocki has.

I've heard Smith is a bit reserved, not a great leader and an average decision-maker. But I've also heard he's a good worker, a smart player who puts in the time, fast, with a very good arm. Understand this: No NFL scout is going to take what Nolan Nawrocki thinks or writes to the bank. Could the team choosing him go back and do some extra homework on him after reading that? Maybe. But let's say Buffalo is considering Smith at No. 8. Do you think GM Buddy Nix is taking shortcuts on the eighth pick in the draft, and do you think coach Doug Marrone would take Smith, upon whose shoulders his future as an NFL head coach will depend, without doing full due diligence?

"He has no awareness of the rush surrounding him. So his pocket awareness ... 30, 32 fumbles in his career ... five sacks in the first half against Texas, three of them he could have gotten rid of the football easily and one of them he was stripped of the football in the end zone for a touchdown. There is no internal clock, there is no feel. Deep ball accuracy, I've put reel together of six to eight throws that should have been touchdowns; wide-open vertical guys that he overthrew or underthrew.

The more tape I watch -- and this is common of a lot of talented, big-arm quarterbacks -- he stares down receivers and he throws the football late. So there is a lack of anticipation and timing. Now, having said all of those things, I recognize the big arm, the athletic ability; he's a great athlete, he's a natural thrower of the football. I just don't see it enough on tape. I couldn't take him in the top 10, I don't think I could take him in the top 20. This entire quarterback class on tape frustrates me."

Mayock: I see four quarterbacks with first-round ability but I have not figured them out yet. I need a lot more work on Ryan Mallett. He makes too many mistakes in the pocket. Cam Newton is just this awesome talent who is further along from a mechanical perspective than Tim Tebow or Vince Young, but I don't know if he is a top-10 pick right now. I've seen four of his game tapes. I need to see six more game tapes and figure the kid out. What kind of work ethic does he have? Will he be the first one in the building?

Blaine Gabbert might be most gifted quarterback in this draft. He might be the next Sam Bradford. On the other hand, he might be the next Alex Smith. At this point, I caution people. I gave out my top-five list, but this week is when I'll review all the Senior Bowl tape and more junior tape. These lists will change and get updated. Ultimately, when we get through the combine and these players get taken off boards because the teams have told me something, then my board starts to mean something. Right now, it is like a crossword puzzle. I'm mixing pieces in and out.

Mayock: I see four quarterbacks with first-round ability but I have not figured them out yet. I need a lot more work on Ryan Mallett. He makes too many mistakes in the pocket. Cam Newton is just this awesome talent who is further along from a mechanical perspective than Tim Tebow or Vince Young, but I don't know if he is a top-10 pick right now. I've seen four of his game tapes. I need to see six more game tapes and figure the kid out. What kind of work ethic does he have? Will he be the first one in the building?

Blaine Gabbert might be most gifted quarterback in this draft. He might be the next Sam Bradford. On the other hand, he might be the next Alex Smith. At this point, I caution people. I gave out my top-five list, but this week is when I'll review all the Senior Bowl tape and more junior tape. These lists will change and get updated. Ultimately, when we get through the combine and these players get taken off boards because the teams have told me something, then my board starts to mean something. Right now, it is like a crossword puzzle. I'm mixing pieces in and out.

Nice find. Basically, its all just a crapshoot.

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Originally Posted by Cassel's Reckoning:

Matt once made a very nice play in Seattle where he spun away from a pass rusher and hit Bowe off his back foot for a first down.

Mayock: I see four quarterbacks with first-round ability but I have not figured them out yet. I need a lot more work on Ryan Mallett. He makes too many mistakes in the pocket. Cam Newton is just this awesome talent who is further along from a mechanical perspective than Tim Tebow or Vince Young, but I don't know if he is a top-10 pick right now. I've seen four of his game tapes. I need to see six more game tapes and figure the kid out. What kind of work ethic does he have? Will he be the first one in the building?

Blaine Gabbert might be most gifted quarterback in this draft. He might be the next Sam Bradford. On the other hand, he might be the next Alex Smith. At this point, I caution people. I gave out my top-five list, but this week is when I'll review all the Senior Bowl tape and more junior tape. These lists will change and get updated. Ultimately, when we get through the combine and these players get taken off boards because the teams have told me something, then my board starts to mean something. Right now, it is like a crossword puzzle. I'm mixing pieces in and out.

That was a January Mayock take so it's not really comparable to his April take on Geno Smith.

__________________

"I'll see you guys in New York." ISIS Caliph Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi to US military personnel upon his release from US custody at Camp Bucca in Iraq during Obama's first year in office.

As previously stated to the extent of nausea, "draft value" is not only silly but doesn't apply to QBs.

It applies to every player.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ponderception

For example, the 49ers got great "value" with Kaepernick by Mayock's definition. However, if a team had selected him in the top 15, it would have been poor value in his eyes.

It's pretty basic stuff. You want to draft your chosen players without spending more draft capital than necessary to do so. The Bradys, Kaepernicks, Montana's et al of the world don't change that. They reinforce it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ponderception

Additionally, I don't really care what Mayock says about QBs. I do enjoy his analysis of DBs though.